Udappuwa Police have arrested an individual with 85 star tortoises, which is a protected species under the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance.
The suspect was arrested in the Batthaluoya area. Police said he was arrested based on information received that an individual in the area was in possession of star tortoises of various sizes.
The suspect had kept the tortoises inside a special enclosure inside his house. Police suspect that he was either planning to send the tortoises to another country or to sell them to hotels.
Police have taken measures to hand over the star tortoises to the Department of Wildlife Conservation while legal action is to be taken against the victim.
By Jayaratne Wickramaarachchi in Kaluwaragaswewa
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